


Alias

by darlingargents



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Bill's Gay Porn Sock, Coming Out, Gen, Multi, Nonnies Made Me Do It, POV Outsider, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Social Media, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingargents/pseuds/darlingargents
Summary: Bill's pseudonym is leaked. The stories are... a little different.
Relationships: Various metaphorical Loser/Loser(/Loser) pairings
Comments: 43
Kudos: 199
Collections: Famous Richie Tozier





	Alias

**Author's Note:**

> I blame FFA for this fic, in its entirety. I can't take credit for large chunks of this; in the endnotes I'll link to all the discussions I can find that influenced this fic.
> 
> Thank you, IT nonnies, for being inspiring, encouraging, and having a lot of wonderful ideas. You've inspired many a WIP from me, and hopefully I will be able to finish more of them in the new year :)
> 
> All usernames in this fic were made up by me and/or a random username generator. If they happen to be shared by real internet users, this does not represent them in any way, shape, or form.

r/WilliamDenbrough  
u/PM_me_better_endings  
**Kinggate [Pinned post]  
** [MOD POST] [Stephen King]  
Yes, you can talk about/post content about the pseudonymous books. It seems like he’s taking it in stride, so we’ve decided to allow it. Please use the “Stephen King” flair.

* * *

**Buzzfeed: I Read All Of William Denbrough’s Pseudonymous Novels, So You Don’t Have To: Part One of Four**

_Allison McLeod_

If you’re a fan of horror, you probably heard the news. William Denbrough, a titan of the genre, has a pseudonym. And let’s just say the books he wrote under it are… a little different. I’ve read all of them, and I’ll be reviewing them in four separate posts.

**Book one: _My Lover’s Inhaler_**

The first book published under the Stephen King alias, _My Lover’s Inhaler_ is a gay vampire erotica novel. (Yeah.) The main character, Liam Dennings, becomes suspicious that his close friend Freddie Kasperski has been turned into a vampire. The plot is a certain level of ridiculous, but somehow addictive, and I honestly had a very hard time putting it down. Liam and Freddie fall in love, Freddie’s inhaler representing his fragile mortality and the love between them. In the novel’s most baffling scene — and that, frankly, is saying quite a lot — Freddie has an asthma attack while Liam is inside him, and… well, let’s just have an excerpt. (NSFW)

 _Liam struggles off the cap as Freddie clenches around him, and he forces his sex-addled brain to focus on keeping his lover breathing. Freddie opens his mouth, wide and inviting, and Liam slides the inhaler between his lips. He counts down, quietly, and depresses the inhaler.  
_ _Freddie breathes in, and sighs in relief. Liam drops the inhaler and leans down to kiss his rose-red lips.  
_ _“Thank you,” Freddie says. “Please — stop treating me like a fragile flower, and fuck me already.”_

It’s an early work, for sure. The vampire plot is highly secondary to the romance, but when it’s on the page, it’s on the page. It’s graphic, bloody, and unflinchingly violent, almost pornographically so, mirroring the actually pornographic scenes between Liam and Freddie. It bears a certain resemblance to other Denbrough novels — the sense of the enemy closing in, characters with strong emotional bonds and strong personalities, a well-fleshed out mythology in a rather short page count, and, of course, the brother issues — but it’s somehow both more and less of a horror story. It is more graphic than many of the novels under his name, but the ending, while uncomfortable (and intentionally so) is incredibly uplifting, compared to most of his endings. And it has a good ending. It’s unbelievable that this is the same guy who wrote the ending of _The Attic Room_. Dear god.

**Book two: _Winter Fire_**

One of the few multi-gender romances in all twenty-eight (!!) novels, _Winter Fire_ is a bit of an outlier. The author’s note at the end mentions that it’s based on notebooks he found from when he was a teenager, and it makes sense. _Winter Fire_ is about a three-way romance and a Satanic blood cult in the cold darkness of winter in rural Maine. The main character is a young woman, Bela Marks, ostracized from the town of Derry, Maine (Denbrough’s real hometown) for unknown reasons, to her and the reader. It starts to play out like a love triangle: two young men, Brad Henley and Robert Driscoll, are in love with her. Brad is a newcomer, who writes her poems; Robert’s family has lived in the town for generations, and his younger brother was recently murdered by an unknown assailant.

 _Winter Fire_ is, perhaps, the best of the King novels; it’s probably one of Denbrough’s best novels overall. The feeling of the story is claustrophobic; the snow, the bitter cold, and the strange behaviours of the townsfolk pull you in and suffocate you. It’s advertised as being about a Satanic cult, so it’s not a spoiler to say that, but the way it plays out is deeply horrifying and brilliant. And, like _My Lover’s Inhaler_ , the ending is both optimistic and good, unlike almost any of his Denbrough novels. Have an excerpt:

 _Bela is still bleeding, and Robert can’t pull his eyes from it, the path of blood as it drips down her face, onto her neck and her shirt. She’s beautiful, in a terrifying way; with the knife in her hands, her arms red up to the elbows, her ripped white dress, she looks like an angel of death.  
_ _Robert can’t stop himself from kissing her. She smiles, and there’s blood on her teeth.  
_ _“Let’s find Brad,” she says, “and get out of here.” Her hair is coming unbound, and as she turns and begins to jog in the general direction of the exit, Robert can’t stop watching the rippling red waves, flashing gold in the light of the candles.  
_ _He can’t believe he’s here, what he just did — but he believes in her, and Brad, and that they will escape. Together._

It’s a deeply feminist novel, explicitly tackling the virgin/whore dichotomy and victimization of women, and is very successful at capturing the feeling of a suffocating small town where everyone is watching you. The novel’s best-known scene is a threeway sex scene in which Bela is on her period. Before Denbrough was outed as the author, it was commonly believed that King was a woman writing under a man’s name; to discover that Denbrough wrote such a brilliant feminist commentary deserves serious commendation. It’s hard to make jokes about this one — it’s just that good, and that much of a serious work, even if it’s an erotic horror novel.

**Book three: _The Pack_**

A werewolf horror-comedy with romance elements, it’s yet another “and now for something entirely different” from Mr. King. If there’s one thing these books are not, it’s consistent, in genre, mood, or content. _The Pack_ is about a teenage boy who is turned into a werewolf, and his close friend who helps him through the transition, as they both deal with werewolf pack drama and inter-species politics when a vampire clan and a witch coven both set up shop in Derry, Maine. The main characters, Ray Torrance and Stevie Goldstein, have a hilarious rapport that provides the heart and soul of the novel. It becomes clear, mid-way through the novel, that Ray’s over-the-top sexual jokes are a way of hiding his homosexuality, and the werewolf transformation parallels his internal transformation from being closeted to being out and in love with his best friend Stevie, whose deadpan humour and unflinching support help him through both of these processes. The inter-species politics are amusing and provide both bloody fight scenes and hilariously tense and formal peace negotiation scenes. An excerpt:

 _Panic is clouding the edges of Ray’s mind. Everything hurts; his skin feels like it’s going to burst like a water balloon, painting the walls with blood. The image is horrifying; his stomach churns, and he closes his eyes, hoping for the feeling to pass.  
_ _A hand falls to rest on his back, comforting._ Stevie _, he thinks, and reaches blindly for him. He fumbles for Stevie’s other hand, and rides out the pain and nausea.  
_ _“I don’t know what to do,” he says, holding back tears.  
_ _“I’ll help you,” Stevie says. “No matter what. I’m here for you, okay? I promise.”  
_ _It doesn’t even feel like a decision. Ray opens his eyes, sees Stevie’s unwaveringly kind gaze, and kisses him.  
_ _It’s the longest moment of his life. And possibly the most wonderful._

 _The Pack_ is short, sweet, and a much lighter antidote to the realness of _Winter Fire_. It’s not immediately clear why this was published under the King pseudonym, until you realize that it’s set in Derry (none of Denbrough’s novels under his name are) and, while the romance isn’t erotica, it’s still more romantic than most of Denbrough’s novels. And maybe it was just a little too close to his heart.

**Book four: _Second Coming_**

More vampires? More vampires. This time, they’re lesbians. _Second Coming_ is clearly influenced by _Carmilla_ and builds on the legacy of gay vampires begun in _My Lover’s Inhaler_. Roxie Taylor and Ella Kent are teenage lovers afraid of nothing: they explore run-down houses, tourist ghost spots, and anything creepy they can find. (And have several sex scenes in these places. It’s never explicitly labeled as such, but it’s certainly a kink for both of them — and, I would say, the author as well.) They get in over their heads when they break into a seemingly abandoned house and meet its occupant: an ancient and lonely vampire, Bianca Drake. The three of them fall into a strangely romantic relationship. It’s the most pornographic of his novels since _My Lover’s Inhaler_ , and the least plot-oriented of all of them; it’s about the characters, the romance, and the sex. Here’s an excerpt (NSFW):

 _Ella gasps as Roxie pushes her against the wall, unbuttoning the top button of her jean shorts and shoving her hand into her panties. She’s already wet, and Roxie grins as she slides her fingers inside her girlfriend.  
_ _“It’s so creepy here,” Ella says, and gasps a little as Roxie’s fingers move just right. “God — it’s almost scary?”  
_ _“Are you actually scared? Loser.” Roxie leans in to kiss her flushed cheek. Ella smiles, and rests her head back against the wall.  
_ _“No, asshole, I’m not — what the_ fuck _was that?” A crash sounds from below, and Ella jumps. “Jesus — fuck, Roxie, get your hand out of my pants—”  
_ _“Oh my god.” Roxie feels all the blood drain out of her face. “Is that — is that a fucking_ bloodstain _? Holy shit.” She’s terrified, but there’s something almost exciting about this. “Let’s go down there?”_

As someone who’s made a lot of mistakes due to Horny Brain, I can’t say I blame these characters for indulging their horror kink. And I commend Denbrough for this ridiculously over-the-top vampire romance. It’s not the best, but it’s certainly enjoyable, and considering it’s a male author writing lesbian threesomes, it’s very respectful of the subject matter. It certainly doesn’t feel like a straight man lusting over hot women, even though, by Denbrough’s own insistence, the novels he wrote as King do not indicate that he’s not straight. (Sure, Denbrough. Sure.)

**Book five: _Golden_**

More erotic romance than horror, _Golden_ tackles small-town racism, homophobia, and growing up in the 80s. It’s not quite set in Denbrough’s teen years — he would’ve been thirteen in 1989, and this book is set in ‘86 and features eighteen-year-olds — but it’s close enough, and set, once again, in Derry, Maine. The horror is mostly of the real-human variety, and discusses the real racist attacks on a black nightclub in Derry many years ago. The romance between Marcus Harding, a black teenager raised on a farm outside town by his grandfather (who knows the dark history of the town) and Blake Daniels, a white teen who goes to work on the farm during a fateful summer, is heartfelt and beautiful. An excerpt:

 _“Do you love him?”  
_ _Blake freezes in place. A million thoughts run through his head: how did Leland find out, has he told Marcus he knows, is he about to lose Marcus and his job. But Leland doesn’t look angry; he looks concerned about his only grandson. The only thing left of the child he lost in the fire, all those years ago.  
_ _He thinks of the golden sunlight in Marcus’s hair, the nights watching the stars, the furtive moments in the barn and in the woods. How he never wants this summer to end.  
_ _“I do,” he says, and means it, with all of his heart.  
_ _“Then,” Leland says, “I wish you all the best. Treat him well. If you must break his heart—”  
_ _“I won’t.”  
_ _“If you must,” Leland insists, not unkindly, “do it with love.”_

It’s very, very sweet. It shares a common theme of Denbrough books — childhood memories and the breaking of childhood innocence. (There are several flashbacks to when Blake and Marcus were younger.) The horror is, again, the racism in the small town, and the homophobia later on in the story when (minor spoiler; it’s implied in the summary) their relationship is outed. But it’s about the good guys winning, and love above all; it’s incredibly heartwarming, and I teared up at the end. I think I enjoyed it more than any other book on this list.

**Book six: _They Came From Space!_**

Does it sound like a trashy alien comic book? Yes, but it’s a trashy alien erotica book. Is anyone surprised at this point? Ike Malone is a world-weary detective in small-town Maine. An alien spacecraft lands in his backyard, kicking off a sexy alien invasion, featuring many, many tentacles in several orifices. Ike is one lucky man. An excerpt:

 _“I have no name in your tongue,” the alien says — says, directly into Ike’s brain. It’s… strange, but not entirely unpleasant. “But you can call me… Edison, after your inventor.”  
_ _“That’s a bit random, but alright.”  
_ _“Show me,” it says, “your world, and all the pleasures it contains.”  
_ _Ike’s dick twitches in his jeans._ It didn’t mean it like that _, he thinks desperately, but he can’t quite convince himself it’s true.  
_ _“Of course,” he says._

There are good aliens, evil aliens, and much tentacle porn. Not much to say about this one — it’s not all that deep. Denbrough just likes tentacles. We get it, William. We get it.

And that’s all for now! See you next time.

* * *

**WILLIAM DENBROUGH WROTE EROTIC GAY HORROR  
** Anonymous  
Discuss this groundbreaking news ITT.  
_(258 comments)_

Anonymous  
SA  
I, for one, am not surprised.

Anonymous  
Me neither. His books aren’t exactly subtle about the gay themes. Also, how many variants of the same characters can he have? A million, apparently.

Anonymous  
Yeah. They’re actually really hot. I didn’t know he could write porn like that, damn.

_Expand (27 comments)..._

Anonymous  
Are we going to talk about how that brings his book tally up to fucking _sixty-eight_ , in twenty years of writing novels? Does this guy ever sleep?

Anonymous  
No.

_Expand (30 comments)_

Anonymous  
I wonder if his wife knew about his gay porn sock.

Anonymous  
I hope so. It’s hilarious, but I’d feel super weird if I found out my spouse had a whole secret identity for writing professional porn.

Anonymous  
Yeah, fair point. I mean, they’re divorced now, but…

Anonymous  
Someone asked her on twitter and she hasn’t responded, but she probably gets a lot of @’s, so who knows.

Anonymous  
SA  
Wait, she just tweeted this:  
_For everyone asking: yes, I knew about it. I didn’t read the books under the King alias — they were personal to him and I was fine with it. I texted him today to ask how he’s doing and he’s pretty fine, actually! No worries :)_

Anonymous  
Huh.

Anonymous  
That’s nice. It’s a reasonable boundary in a relationship and I’m glad that they’re both taking this in stride.

_Expand (15 comments)_

Anonymous  
_My Lover’s Inhaler_ is really fucking hot, but also, wow, that’s a hilarious title for a horror-erotica novel. And somehow the inhaler itself is actually erotic???? How. Teach me your ways, William Denbrough.

Anonymous  
I wonder how he came up with that idea. Inhalers as romance?

Anonymous  
He probably had a crush on his asthmatic friend as a teenager and imprinted on inhalers as sex objects. Also, you put them in your mouth. Clearly it’s very phallic.

Anonymous  
AYRT  
You’re joking, but it’s plausible.

Anonymous  
I have actually had an asthma attack during sex. It’s not nearly as sexy as _My Lover’s Inhaler_ makes it.

_Expand (40 comments)_

Anonymous  
So… that Denbrough exchange coming up. Is it going to accept his King novels as well?

Anonymous  
I want Denbrough/King RPF.

Anonymous  
LOL.

Anonymous  
...can we request that? Because I will.

Anonymous  
I think there’s no RPF, but I wish.

_Expand (8 comments)_

* * *

**Direct Message**

@rtoziercomedy  
So  
Bill  
William  
Care to explain this?

> #1 my lover’s inhaler fan  
>  @freddiesdennings  
>  are we not going to talk about the fact that all of the king books seem to contain thinly veiled versions of denbrough’s irl childhood friends, including @rtoziercomedy @beverlymarsh @benhanscom and several other not-famous people?
> 
> #1 my lover’s inhaler fan  
>  @freddiesdennings  
>  like… ray torrance, roxie taylor, & rick thomas? bela marks, bree marshall, & barb mcavoy? brad henley, boris hollister, & bennet hand??? either denbrough has a thing for certain combinations of initials or there’s SOMETHING going on
> 
> #1 my lover’s inhaler fan  
>  @freddiesdennings  
>  also lmaoooooo so many of the main characters have names that are variants on william. dude. i was more subtle than that when i was writing self-insert fanfic at 13

???

@WilliamDenbrough  
Uh  
No  
Not really

@rtoziercomedy  
Okay, got it, we’ll just not talk about it then

@WilliamDenbrough  
Sounds good to me.

@rtoziercomedy  
Cool. I’ll go back to reading the one where me and Eddie are college lesbians who get turned into vampires by you, a mysterious and alluring vampire.

@WilliamDenbrough  
To be fair, I didn’t know at the time that I was writing about you guys.

@rtoziercomedy  
The biggest joke here is you being alluring.

* * *

William Denbrough  
@WilliamDenbrough  
I know it’s a popular theory, but no, none of the characters I wrote under the Stephen King name are based on real people.

Richard Tozier  
@rtoziercomedy  
_Reply to @WilliamDenbrough:_ Sure.

* * *

**Direct Message**

@WilliamDenbrough  
Really??

@rtoziercomedy  
Just telling it like it is.  
The people deserve to know.

* * *

r/WilliamDenbrough  
u/PM_me_better_endings  
**INTERVIEW: William Denbrough Addresses His Pseudonym; “I Know What’s In Those Books, But I Am Heterosexual.”  
**[Interview] [Stephen King]

_146 Comments [sort=old]_

u/peniiiiiis  
SURE, DENBROUGH. No straight man would write such a detailed description of another man’s butthole.

u/Jen36  
I believe him. Lots of people write stuff they aren’t interested in IRL. Are we going to say he’s a murderer, too, because of all his serial killer books?  
u/travesties  
How is that remotely equivalent? What the hell.

u/iwritetragediesnotsins  
Keep telling yourself that, man…

u/barelywaynesworld  
r/SuddenlyGay  
u/peniiiiiis  
It’s not that sudden…  
u/barelywaynesworld  
To us it is.

u/horrorfan123  
If he says he’s straight, he’s straight. Come on. There are lots of reasons to write a novel like that and most of them have nothing to do with being gay.  
u/redgreenblue  
EXACTLY. All of these comments about him being Definitely Gay are dumb as fuck. He’s a writer, and he’s parodying gay romance novels. Simple as that.  
u/travesties  
I mean. It’s pretty much normal gay erotica. I’m not saying he’s straight or not, but it’s not really a parody — and it’s pretty detailed on the romance. There’s horror, but there’s romance and lingering details of male beauty. Just saying.  
u/redgreenblue  
You’re projecting. He’s a heterosexual man. End of story.

* * *

**modsock69** posted to **denbroughexchange**

**The Pseudonym Issue**

We’ve talked it through, and we’ve decided that we will allow works posted under the Stephen King alias to be nominated and requested in this exchange, if — and only if — you include at least one Denbrough novel in your requests. We understand that this may be controversial, and may not please everyone, and we’re sorry for that. The schedule remains the same, nominations opening next week. See you guys then, and I hope you’ll join us in wishing for a very successful second round of this exchange.

* * *

**Bangs, Fests, Exchanges - Denbrough Exchange  
** Anonymous  
So they’ve spoken on the King novels issue. No word on Denbrough/King RPF.

Anonymous  
Allowing it, but requiring one request to be a Denbrough novel? That’s ridiculous. Consider them his novels or don’t, don’t treat them like they’re inherently different.

Anonymous  
They literally are though.

_Expand (50 comments)_

Anonymous  
Anyone else want Roxie/Ella/Bianca from Second Coming? Because I will definitely be requesting it and writing it for anyone else who does. (Canon f/f/f threesome. William Denbrough, King of the Allies, pun intended.)

Anonymous  
FUCK YEAH.

Anonymous (frozen)  
“allies”

Anonymous (frozen)  
Can we not do irl sexuality wank, please? He says he’s straight, I don’t believe him but we shouldn’t do this here.

_Expand (13 comments)_

Anonymous  
I’m excited.

_Expand (30 comments)..._

* * *

r/WilliamDenbrough  
u/aliensoflondon  
**William Denbrough Announces New Novel, The Other Half; Will Deal With The Outing Of His Pseudonym  
**[New Book] [Stephen King]

* * *

**Buzzfeed: William Denbrough’s First Novel Since His Alias Was Outed Is… Well, It’s Kind Of Gay.**

_Allison McLeod_

Have you, dear heterosexual reader, ever written a novel about accepting and loving your alias, in a strange metaphor for coming out as bisexual?

William Denbrough has.

…

* * *

r/WilliamDenbrough  
u/PM_me_better_endings  
**INTERVIEW: William Denbrough Opens Up About His Bisexuality, His Feelings On His Pseudonym’s Outing, And His New Novel  
**[Interview]

_38 Comments [sort=old]_

u/PM_me_better_endings [Pinned comment]  
I, for one, am very happy for him. **Keep these comments civil** , or you will be banned.

u/peniiiiiis  
I fucking called it. Also, good for him.

u/eaterofworlds  
[pride flag emoji]

u/ArcDeTriumphant  
Fuck this, I’m unsubbing and never reading one of his books again. Disgusting. I thought he had morals.  
u/peniiiiiis  
Oh, so the graphic child murder is fine, but him being gay isn’t? Bye. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.  
u/travesties  
You’re a fucking asshole and I’m sure he’s glad you’re not going to be reading his books anymore.

u/Jen36  
I was surprised by how genuine that interview was. I’ve never really thought much about gay folks, but he made it sound very normal. I might look into this a bit more.

u/travesties  
That’s a lovely interview and I’m so happy for him. And Audra tweeted her support, too; I’m really glad that she’s supporting him and they’ve made it very clear that their divorce had nothing to do with his sexuality.

* * *

Richie Tozier  
@rtoziercomedy  
At least I’m not in this one. #TheOtherHalf

William Denbrough]  
@WilliamDenbrough  
_Reply to @rtoziercomedy:_ Fuck off.

**Author's Note:**

> Origin of Bill’s pseudonym (including that his pseudonym is Stephen King, the title Second Coming, the title My Lover’s Inhaler, the concept of his self-insert being shipped with other Losers, and the good endings): [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/392815.html?thread=2311376495#cmt2311376495)   
>  The concept of a Buzzfeed article about reading all of his works under that name + Denbrough exchange wank + other stuff: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/392815.html?thread=2311511919#cmt2311511919)   
>  His pseudonym being outed + Reddit discussions of My Lover’s Inhaler + “I know what I wrote but I am heterosexual” + the coming-out novel: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/392815.html?thread=2311571567#cmt2311571567)   
>  “I Read All Of William Denbrough’s Erotica So You Don’t Have To”: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/397724.html?thread=2343686300#cmt2343686300)   
>  The recurring themes in Bill’s novels: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/400903.html?thread=2364121863#cmt2364121863)   
>  Myra’s book club reads My Lover’s Inhaler: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/400903.html?thread=2364485127#cmt236)   
>  Annie Wilkes reads My Lover’s Inhaler: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/403980.html?thread=2384843276#cmt2384843276)   
>  Bill’s teenage drawerfic: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/404682.html?thread=2388065226#cmt2388065226)   
>  Bill made Reddie canon in his books: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/393342.html?thread=2315484286#cmt231)   
>  The thread that finally prompted me to start writing: [here](https://fail-fandomanon.dreamwidth.org/405727.html?thread=2394857951#cmt239)


End file.
